The Amazing World Of Gumball – “The Flower” Recap

After seeing Penny and Leslie hanging out together, Gumball – in a jealousy induced rage – vows to do everything in his power to make sure that the two of them stop spending time together. They soon learn, however, that Gumball may not be in control of his own actions.

Season two of The Amazing World Of Gumball got off to a fantastic start with “The Remote”, but unfortunately, the next few episodes after that didn’t quite live up to my expectations. I was beginning to become concerned, but I’m pleased to say that this episode marked a return to form for the series. Unlike in previous season one episodes, this one managed to provide a very clever reason for Gumball behaving stupidly – he was possessed by the literal spirit of jealousy – so I found myself enjoying his antics far more than I did in “The Picnic”, for example. I also like Gumball and Penny’s relationship, even if this episode seemed like a step back from “The Knights”. Without knowing the order in which the episodes were written, it’s hard to say how consistent or inconsistent their relationship is going to be this season. I’d just like them to go steady. It’s often said that comedy can’t come from stable relationships, but I’d like somebody to try.

Perhaps the best thing about this episode was how they used Carrie, and the dynamic that was established between the group of friends. Friendship seemed to be a key theme with this and “The Banana”, the other episode that aired this week, because the characters were interacting with one another like they actually knew each other and had hung out in the past. Well, Gumball didn’t know Leslie very well, but in many season one episodes the characters just seemed to be there. An episode in season two even had that problem, but with these episodes it’s starting to feel like Elmore is actually alive and that the show’s characters don’t solely exist in the confines of individual episodes. Gumball episodes tend a bit too fast-paced, but I think the show could benefit from slowing things down more often and just letting the characters talk to one another. As for Carrie, well, there’s a reason she is a fan favorite. This episode has gotten me more excited for her larger appearances later on in the season.